Relay for undulatory currents.



R. VON LIEBEN L E. RBISZ.

RELAY Foa UNDULAToRY GURBENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 3111.30, 1911.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912. ,l

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mlzelsses R. VON LIEBEN & E. REISZ.

RELAY FOB UNDULATORY CUBRENTS,

` v APPLICATION FILED JAN. 304, 1911. 11,038,9 1 0.

Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ses.

y STATES PATENT orrioii.

30m vol LIEBER AND BUG um, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, SSIGNORS 0F ONE-THIRD T0 mm 8mm, 0F VIENNA, AU'STIJL-HUNGARY.

v BILLY IQB UIDULATOBY to f " r c. il; (lation.

s invention relates to im rovements in l undulatory current relays, an the primary object of the saillieis to reinforce current waves of the most varied frequency and form..

1i invention as hereinafter disclosed and it i in the drawings constitutes an imprement on that disclosed in our coif; i f1 if application Serial No. 605,547, wherein by means of varying the ionization ot the space between there ectrodes, as for int stance by means of cathode rays, the resistce ot the circuit connected to the elec-- modes is altered so that the current waves introduced will produce proportionate variations y 2h 'lhe subject of the present invention is a sheidevelopment of the above mentioned invention, wherein instead of b`eing altered indirectly by means of an ionzer the resistance in the main circuit is altered directly by means of an auxiliary electrode, on which the currents to be reinforced act. For this purpose the auxiliary electrode, which is likewise made of grid or net form, is arranged in such a manner that it completely intersects or divides the space between the cathode' and 'anode in the discharge tube; moreover, it is connected with aV source of direct current in such a manner that it has an exactly defined potential corresponding to the degree of reinforcement required foi-,the time being. ln order to enable this potential to be .adjusted as re- -qui, an adjustable resistance is ,ably introduced between the electr e and the source of electric current. VBy this means the valve-like action of the incandescent electrode is dispensed with, since the alternating current to be reinforced .is superposed on a constant direct current, whereby an 5-undulatory current is formed from the alternating current.' Also the presence of the constant potential of the electrode, the magnitude of which is suitably chosen between that of the cathode and that of the anode,

55 causes the formation of an articial dark dit .Indication of Lettere Patent.

Application lied {anury 80, 1911.

ungary, have invented certain new" currents which are practically o Patentedsept. 1%',1912. .Borlllmt 005,548. 5... .p l. Y f p, l. *L il? 1 space near the cathode d hus f la spa .where the number of ions `is small, around the apertures of the auxiliary electrode toward the anode, wheiieby an the resistance of the main circuit, which is just what M it is desired to alter, -is considerably increased. This Idisplacement of the maximum drop of potential into proity to and into theA openings ot the aumliary electrode and also the .circumstance that this grid-electo trode entirely'hlls up the cross-section of the discharge tube, permit the employinent of any desired strength, since here the formation of an arc outside the grid is rendered l@ sible and the foation of an arc inthe apertures of the grid is rendered very dicult bythe production of the `articial dark space near .said apertures.

The openings or contractions, as is lmown, tt form a -virtual resistance for the gas discharge, which resistance, however, as we have discovered, c be w considerably altered it, hetwii: the cathm and the partition-wall, a constant but regulable voltt@ age be applied; and it appears that even with a very slight increase or reduction of the potential-didei'cnce, the resistance or back electromotive force in the discharge tube will be smaller or greater. The currents dll to be reinforced now alter the resistance of the auxiliary electrode, whereby the currents passing between the cathode and anode are altered 'in proportion to this resistance.

The drawings show by way of example t@ some constructional forms of the subject of the ap lication.

ln t ese drawings: lli re 1 is a section of the discharge tube. t ig. 2 is a diagram of the connections of the relay. Fi 2tL t5 shows a further consti-notional form o the relay with an auxiliary cathode. V Fi 3 shows a further` constructional form o the subject of the application, wherein another method of altering the resistance of the auxlo@ iliarv electrode is employed. Fi. 3 is a development of the cathode longing thereto.

ln Fig. 1 the cathode K is arranged in the discharge tube R. This cathode is-prefloo erably an incandescent metallic oxid catliode (a Wehnelt cathode) and has the 'form of incandescent metal bands covered with metallic oxide, which bands are wound on a carrieror support in a similar manner it! to that in whichl metal filament lamps are constructed. This construction of the cathode has the advantage that the irregularly distributed cathode rays emitted by the incandescent bands (filaments) do not strike the auxiliary electrode directly whereby the current density is uniformly distributed over the auxilia electrode. H is the said auxiliary electr e, which divides or intersects the space between the cathode K and the anode 4A and is preferably made in the form of wire gauze or netting or perforated sheet metal or as a combination of the two.

The cathode K, in combination with a regulating resistance Rw (Fi regulates the temperature of the incandescent metal bands, is connected to the source of direct curernt Q. The anode A is connected to the ositive pole of the ysaid source of current t ough the primary winding To the regulating resistance Rw` is further connected at 'c the` auxiliary electrode H through the secondary winding of a second transformer. As shown in Fig. 2,

the microphone circuit BM acts inductivel on the gas current between K and H throug the primary winding P. The voltage which exists between the cathode K and the auxiliary electrode H, is given-by the adjustment of the contact c of the regulating resistance Rw. This application of a regulable pressure has been found to be an extremely important expedient for the 'sensitiveness of the relay, since a proportionally strong alteration of resistance 1n the gas discharge tube only occurs with a quite definite value of the voltage `and this depends on tlie pressure of the gas in the tube, the temperature of the electrode, etc. It was further established by experiment that with greater strengths of the current and more especially with such strengths as first render the relay ractically useful, the auxiliary electrode as above mentioned, must ,entirely shut off the cross-section of the tube,

since otherwise shunting of the gas-current would occur, which almost entirely destroys the action of the relay.

The method of .operation of the relay is as follows: The currents from' the micro' phone circuit superposed inductively on the circuit between K and H through the transformer PS alter the back electromotive force or resistance of the gas discharlertube, so that the main current assing ough -the anode A acts through t e second trans- Lformer P S on the tele hone T. As already set forth, with a d ite difference of 'potentials between K and H, which can be adjusted by means of the sliding contact c, the resistance of the gas discharge produced by the ,auxiliary electrode is extremely sensitive and the small variations of potential caused by the variations of resistance. of the microphone are therefore suicient to alter 2) which A The pair of electroma the strengthA of the current in the discharge tube very considerably so that a powerful relay action is Vobtaine In Fig. 2 a secondcathode K" is provided, which is connected to a separate 70 source of current B', and to the positive pole of which the electrode H is connected throughthe transformer. Since in this system of connections the temperature of the cathode K can be made independent of the cathode K, the drop of potential at the cathode K can be very considerably reduced by a' correspondingly high temperature of the bands at K an consequently the variations of current of the transformer PS increased, without the main current flowing to the anode in the discharge Ytube being considerably increased. The temperature of the main cathode and therefore the .current lowin through the anode A cannot be increase indefinitely, since at a critical value of the current determined by the cross-scc- ,tion of the tube the 'sensitiveness of the relay again decreases.

Another form of construction of the relay is shown in Fi 3. In this, the cathode K is made in the orm of a concave mirror, in order to unite the rays emitted thereby into one pencil; H is the auxiliary electrode which is again arranged as a artition-wa between the cathode and ano e and has an openin or window, provided with a perforat metal sheet or wire gauze forming a grid. The anode A is connected in a known manner tothe positive pole of Q. ets E is connected in series with 'the microp one M and a battery. In the opening or window of the auxiliary electrode H is mounted a piece of perforated sheet metal, a grid or a combination of the two, `in order to increase the back electromotive force or rather the main resistance to be altered of the tube between K and A. The regulating resistance Rw with the contacts c and C is connected as in the form shown in Fig.-2. The alterations of current in the micro hone circuit cause the pencil of rays to deflected, whereby the apertures in the window of the auxiliary elect-rode H, -to which a constantI direct current potential can be applied, are more or less struck by the encil of cathode rays and are therefore sub]ected to an ioni-` zation of varying intensity. By this means the back electromotive force or the resistance in the main circuit between K and A is altered according tothe variations of current in the primary. The back electro- 'motive force or resistance in the discha iio i shown that for t e proportional reproduction of alternating currents, the openings in the partition-Wall must be made of diderent slzes.

The above described rela for undulating currents can be employed or strengthening sound, as a relay in' overhead wire and cable telephony in short and long distancecommunication, also in wireless telegraphy and telephony, as'an auxiliary apparatus for the telegraphone and as a cell sensitive to light for the electric transmission of pictures, etc.

What is claimed is:

1. A relay for undulatory currents comprising a dlscharge tube, a cathode and an anode therein, an auxiliar electrode to cause a drop of potentia between the cathode and anode and :formed with apertures and intersecting the s ace in the discharge tube between said cat ode and anode and dividing it into separate parts, and a .source of dlrect current connected to said auxiliary electrode.

2. A relay for undulatory currents comprising a dischar e tube, a cathode and an anode therein em odied in an electric cir-1 cuit with said cathode, an auxiliary electrode formed with apertures and intersecting the space between the cathode and the anode, a source of direct current connected 3. In a relay for undulatory currents, an

exhausted dischar e tube, a cathode and an anode therein, em died inan electric circuit, a grid-like auxiliary. electrode intersectmg t e dischar e tube between the cathode .and the an e yand dividing it into separate parts, a' sourcev of direct current connected to the auxiliary electrode, the latter forming a resistance for the currents in the circuit, an adjustable resistance between said source of direct currentvand the auxillary electrode, and means for varyixli the resistance of said electrode in acco ance with the currents' to be reinforced.

4. In a relay for undulatory currents,an exhausted discharge tube, a cathode of metallic oxid filaments heated to incandesence, the filaments being wound on a carrier in the manner of a metal filament lamp, an anode embodied in an electric circuit with said cathode, a grid-like auxilia electrode intersecting the space of the disc argeftube and dividing it into separate parts, this electrode being perpendicular to the axis of the carrier, a source of direct current con nected to said electrode, the latter thus formin a resistance for the currents inthe circuit, an adjustable resistance between the source of dlrect current and theelectrode, and means for varyin the resistance of said electrode in accor ance with the currents to be reinforced.

5. In a relay for undulatory currents, an exhausted discharge tube, a cathode and an anode therein embodied in an electric circuit, a grid-like auxiliary electrode intersectin the discharge tube between the cathode an thev anode and dividing it into ,separate parts, a source of direct current connected to the auxiliary electrode, an adjustable resistance-in the circuit" between the source of direct current and the auxiliary electrode, and means to superpose the undulating currents to be reinforced on said circuit.

6. In a relay for undulatory currents, an exhausted discharge tube,` a cathode and an anode therein embodied in an electric circuit, an auxiliary cathode embodied in a separate circuit, a' 'd-like auxilia electrode intersecting e dischar tu between the auxiliary cathode an the anode and dividing it into separate parts, a source yof direct current connected to the auxiliary electrodeI Witnesses Joenr RUBnnNcH, Anouar Fasern. 

